Well-deserved Oscar win for a tight and touching screenplay in plain Irish English. "If you they don't understand, they are not listening" says the family patriarch. Both grandpa (Ciarán Hinds) and grandma (Judi Dench) were nominated for best acting in supporting roles.
Besides the best music and sound noms, the real winner is Kenneth Branagh for his screenplay and who also got nominated for best director and best film. His directing of actors, his choices of décor, location, costume, look, color (or lack thereof), and camera angles are simply amazing!
7 Academy Award nods but the surprise is perhaps the lack of nomination for cinematography. Every shot of this 90 is exquisitely beautiful in mostly B&W. My congrats to a recurring Branagh collaborator, DOP from Cyprus Haris Zambarloukos. He also did an interesting job in claustrophobic Steven Knight's Locke with Tom Hardy. In Belfast, he uses all the planes and makes the frame an invitation to "feel" part of the family, community and Belfast reality.
The realness aspect of a difficult life is constrated with great warmth and love of a 3 generation family and a resilience and unity without much negativity or complaining. A real example of best human nature traits, genuine love, communication and community rising above hardship. Many scenes exhibit this and are cumulative. By the end, we have lived their journey, understand, feel and move on with them.
From beginning to end, Branagh outdoes (and in much less time) his 1996 version of Hamlet (over 4 hours) as his undisputed best work.
Besides the best music and sound noms, the real winner is Kenneth Branagh for his screenplay and who also got nominated for best director and best film. His directing of actors, his choices of décor, location, costume, look, color (or lack thereof), and camera angles are simply amazing!
7 Academy Award nods but the surprise is perhaps the lack of nomination for cinematography. Every shot of this 90 is exquisitely beautiful in mostly B&W. My congrats to a recurring Branagh collaborator, DOP from Cyprus Haris Zambarloukos. He also did an interesting job in claustrophobic Steven Knight's Locke with Tom Hardy. In Belfast, he uses all the planes and makes the frame an invitation to "feel" part of the family, community and Belfast reality.
The realness aspect of a difficult life is constrated with great warmth and love of a 3 generation family and a resilience and unity without much negativity or complaining. A real example of best human nature traits, genuine love, communication and community rising above hardship. Many scenes exhibit this and are cumulative. By the end, we have lived their journey, understand, feel and move on with them.
From beginning to end, Branagh outdoes (and in much less time) his 1996 version of Hamlet (over 4 hours) as his undisputed best work.